While it didn't feel this way, the Cowboys actually won last week against the Texans, despite needing a 98-yard drive in the final minutes. So yes, the Cowboys are looking for a "bounce-back" game but they're also trying to win their fifth straight game since the overtime loss to the Packers.
This week, they travel to Jacksonville for the first time since 2006, seeking their first-ever regular-season win at the Jaguars.
So what will happen Sunday afternoon? Check out how the staff writers think it'll go down in Jacksonville.
Patrik Walker: The tour of the AFC South continues for the Cowboys — having obliterated the Colts only to narrowly defeat the lowly Texans — making it difficult to predict how they'll look against a Jaguars team that has proven it can put up plenty of points. Losing starting nose tackle Johnathan Hankins for the remainder of the regular season stings as much as losing Anthony Brown until 2023, and Trevor Lawrence will try to use his arsenal (Travis Etienne, Zay Jones, Christian Kirk, etc.) to challenge those positions, aided by the fact head coach Doug Pedersen knows a thing or two about playing against Dallas. But with all of that respect given, I feel like the Cowboys got served a hefty reminder to stay full throttle at all times going forward, and they do in Jacksonville this week, because they know they'll lose if they don't. 34-24, Cowboys
Nick Eatman: Had the Cowboys taken care of business early against the Texans and dominated them like we all thought, then maybe this one in Jacksonville would give me more fits to pick. But I do think last week's game served as a wakeup call and won't allow them to look ahead to a Christmas Eve showdown that we all know is coming. But let's see what this team is made of – and how they react in Jacksonville, a place they haven't visited in 16 years. There were be a ton of Cowboys fans at the game, even though this has been a good year for the Jags, expect to see a ton of Blue & Silver. But the Jags will score some points. The Cowboys will score a lot as well. I'm seeing a high-scoring game that the Cowboys will ultimately win, something in the range of 37-28.
Hailey Sutton: Last week was a reality check. Losing your starting right tackle the week after losing your starting corner was adversity enough, now you're trying to determine what the o-line will look like against one of the most underrated teams in the league. But, I don't think this is a trap game so much as two quality opponents both looking to prove something. Jacksonville will score a lot. But the Cowboys will score more IF they can eliminate those self-inflicted misuses we saw last week. I feel like this will be a high-scoring affair so give me Dallas 38-28.
Mickey Spagnola: The Cowboys have done a good job when the pressure is on to perform well, home or away, and the pressure is on Sunday in Jacksonville, because if they don't play well and win, they essentially will have no chance of catching the Eagles, rendering the Christmas Eve game rather meaningless. While the Jags offense has been humming, let's see if it can stand up to the Cowboys defense. Plus Cowboys offense will be far more than the Jaguars can handle. Cowboys 27, Jaguars 18.
Kyle Youmans: This is a unique challenge and one where the records should be thrown out the window. Jacksonville is clicking on offense and their strengths will test some of the current Dallas weaknesses. If the Cowboys would've taken care of business against the Texans the way they should have, I don't know if I would've picked them this week. However, they've now seen it's a challenge to put away any NFL team and some of the frustration from a poor performance last week will carry over. Dallas wins it by getting off to a hot start and holding on late, 34-30 over Jacksonville.
